


Ray's Occult Books**

by Elliva



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:16:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elliva/pseuds/Elliva





	Ray's Occult Books**

“Well its not _too_ shabby.” Ray remarked after a long sustained pause. His comment, which was meant to be reassuring, sounded more like a question.

 

“Ray...” Peter scoffed “how much did you tip off the inspector to let you keep the place again?”

 

Egon nodded profusely along with his colleague. “ Ray I have to agree with Peter. Its incredible that this place has passed any sort of codes making it fit to be safe for people let alone commercial use.”

 

“Really?” Ray replied naïvely. “ I think that the paint job has done wonders.”

 

“Your right Ray the soft coral pink really brings out the mould.” Peter sneered tossing what looked to be a shrunken head from one hand to the other. Ray frowned at him impatiently as he swiped the unpleasant object from his hand.

 

“ Do you have any idea what this is?“ Ray exclaimed holding up what appeared to be a large prune. “That is an authentic shrunken head I ordered from an exclusive Occult catalogue from Sussex.”

_“_ Yaaah, Yuck… Yuck _”_ Peter immediately wiped his hands across the bookshelf. “I hate to see the man that you have become Ray.”

 

Ray turned his back to Peter and placed the dismembered body part next to the cash register. “ I am really excited about the place. It really was a steal. You should see the basement. It’s huge! Who knows maybe this could become the site of a second Ghostbusters headquarter one day…” Ray scoped the room for any sort of returned enthusiasm, “…or something. Let me show you.”  

 

Egon raised one eyebrow unimpressed. Egon didn’t particularly agree with the new part-time career path Ray had chosen, but at least he was grateful to be in the presence of so many rare and unusual books. Egon loved to read and many of the books on the shelves Egon had already read cover to cover. At the moment he was fixated upon one called _Ido Voodoo Doyou._ The men followed Ray across the complex network of atypical books on subjects that were all the more, uncommon. As Peter and Egon followed their fervent friend through the back door the two of them had to duck in order to avoid thumping their heads against the doorframe.

 

There was a set of creaky wooden stairs that lead down to the basement. Ray had been right, the basement was huge, although it did pale in comparison to the one that the Ghostbusters used at the firehouse. The basement was dark and the colours were frightening even for the Ghostbusters.

 

“ I take back what I said about the mould. What a dump.” Peter frowned.

Ray ignored him and darted to the center of the basement pivoting on one foot as he was torn as to what he wanted to show his friends first. The room was full of boxes and strange objects. As the men got closer to the bottom of the stairs they were able to better see the madness of it all. Ray decided to swiftly turn to the right cutting Egon off as he grabbed a strange object with hooks at one end and what looked like a macabre Christmas ornament on the other. Peter shuddered.

 

“ Some of these boxes are mine but there was a lot of things left here from the previous owner. Some of the stuff is real unorthodox. I don’t think I want to picture the whack-job that came up with this fella. I still have to go through it all.” Ray remarked as he passed the object to Egon.

 

“ This is sick Ray.” Peter scolded. “ Likely belonged to a deranged artist no doubt.” Peter nudged Egon who was now focussed on getting readings from the strange object in his hands.

 

“That’s nothing!” Ray cheered, “There is a lot more where that came from.”

 

“ Well aren’t we in luck.” Peter teased turning towards the stairs. “ You know I would love to meet your roommates Ray but I’m beat. See you around its my day off and I think a nice long nap is in order.”

 

Ray looked back at Egon who was now scanning the box from which the strange object came.

 

“ Who needs him! Venkman never really was the artistic type.” Ray decided.

 

“Ray, who was the previous owner of this place?” Egon questioned as he put his PKE meter back into his blazer pocket.

 

“ I don’t know all the details but he was an old guy who sold this shop when he went to prison. Or something like that.” Ray mentioned cautiously. “ That’s probably why he left so many of his things behind.” Egon looked repulsed as he crossed the room. Ray looked into the box that Egon looked into. More hooks. Ray tried to ignore it. “ My next obstacle will be hiring help for this place. I mean the ghost busting has died down substantially, but I want to also help you out with the research. I would only be able to work here part time. Do you think that it will be difficult to find someone that is at least a little bit as knowledgeable as us on the occult that could run the store? I wonder?”

 

“ Ray I think if there were a large variety of people interested in this subject we’d still have our comfortable jobs at the university.” Egon retorted, but noticed the slight disappointment on Ray’s face. “But it’s highly probable that you will be able to find adequate help whether or not they are experts on the supernatural.”

 

“Thanks Egon.” Ray answered sarcastically.

 

 

Egon smirked sympathetically at his good friend. Though he was overtly doubtful at the success of his friend’s business, he was glad he had found something that made him happy, although for Ray that wasn’t exactly a rarity. The Ghostbusters had been in business for about two years at this point but in no way had it been a steady two years. Ghosts seem to have appeared in surges. For a few months the Ghostbusters may have had a bust on average six plus times a week, but there were times that they would go another one or two months barely making rent. Egon had attributed this to such things as  astro-alignments or the current moon phase. Ray’s interest in finding a separate job was hardly something to scoff at. Besides he truly did have a love for odd objects and books. Egon figured that for Ray, it was in most cases more about the thrill of the find than the thrill of participating in the world of retail. In any case he tried not to act too sceptical in front of his friend. Since the coming of Gozer, there was arguably a surge in interest in the paranormal at some level, especially among younger people. Hopefully there was enough of one to fuel Ray’s wishful pursuit.

 

Egon had thought about getting a side job. Of course with his intelligence there was hardly a shortage of jobs that would be fitting of a man with such a high IQ, but there was still a sort of struggle for him to overcome the menacing reputation he had received from being a part of such a controversial business. The controversy had become more and more prominent over the years and it was quite clear that the majority of people were in fact unconvinced to the credibility of the Ghostbusters work. Though more and more people would admit to believing in ghosts the actually profession of capturing and containing them was over most peoples heads.

 

Ray had not been the only one with other work. Winston had now taken up a part time job in a flight hanger as a mechanic. He had been recently engaged and the wildly unsteady work was not enough for him and his new life. However there was no way that he would part from Ghostbusting all together. Though more intact with reality than the other men, he still craved the absence of logistics that accompanied the Ghostbusting profession. He figured he would truly be a fool to give up the surreal life of a ghost trapper. Needless to say it took a lot of convincing for him to ensure his girlfriend Shawna Jefferson of two years that what he did was in fact real and a sort of noble profession.

 

The rest of the Ghostbusters shared a sort of love-hate relationship with Shawna. When they had first met her, she was overtly cynical about her boyfriend’s occupation. She had met Winston after he had joined the team through a friend of hers who had worked with him before. She had her PHD in history and at twenty-eight had just finished her education. She worked as a historical museum curator and had met him there as she gave him an unregulated private tour through the building. She was immediately drawn to his intelligence and love for history and literature. He could almost lead the tour better than she could. The two hit it off fairly quickly and the made it official only a few weeks after meeting. Shawna however didn’t find out Winston’s true profession until a few months in when a giant marshmallow man made his appearance on the streets of New York. Obviously, she hadn’t talked to him for a week. However as time progressed Shawna became more and more accepting of her fiancé’s career although it would still cause her to debate his sanity on occasion. The other Ghostbusters took a while to accept Shawna as a part of their lives. Peter found it especially difficult at first. Although Janine would often take joy in getting under his skin from time to time it was Shawna’s excessive disbelief and debasing of their profession that caused Peter to have a rocky relationship with Shawna from the start. Eventually it was very clear that her presence was inevitable and with her easing down of the insults, the staff began to acknowledge her as one of their own. After all, she wasn’t nearly the first person to feel that way about the Ghostbusters.

 

            Ray grabbed a shabby help wanted sign and placed it in the window. It seemed to hold its place with the grime and soot that accumulated on it over years of neglect. Ray wiped his hands on his pants copiously.

 

“Just a little TLC, that’s all!” He insisted judging his friends dismal expression. Egon turned from him entirely uninterested. He began to put his coat back on.

 

“ Ray I would love to help but I promised Janine I would be back an hour ago. You know what she’s like when you keep her waiting.” Egon stated flatly looking at his watch.

 

“ Oh you have a date?” Ray teased giving his friend a childlike smirk.

 

“ No.” Egon seemed agitated, “ I promised her I would go to Canarsie and help her mother move things into her new house.”

 

“ Making things good with the parents huh Spengler?” Ray smirked.

 

Egon looked blankly at his colleague. “Ray, perhaps you should clean the windows this place is a disgrace.”

 

Ray was only taken back for a moment by his friend’s abruptness. It was always anything to get off the topic of Janine. Two years and the question was still spinning, are they or aren’t they? Even though Egon had spent much of his time with Janine and went on countless trips to Canarsie to see the Melnitz’ there was no indication of anything between the two. However consistent trips to see the family was hardly customary of two friends. The men knew Janine wasn’t exactly coy about her attraction to Egon, and though she had dated other men through the two years she had a special place for Egon. Whether the two had something more physical in secret was anyone’s guess, but they were all convinced that at the very least Egon had enjoyed her company more than he would ever like to admit.

 

Egon was secretive and inconsistent. Even Peter who had known him the longest and would attribute him as being one of his closest friends knew very little about what he thought about Janine or his trips to Canarsie. He even knew little about what he had thought of his own family, or what his life had been like before they had met in university over ten years prior. The truth was Egon found little use in discussing private matters with anyone. Even if he had seen some value in it, he would find difficulty in even finding the words to describe it. It was much easier if he never said anything at all. To know everyone on a very surface level kept him from becoming heavily involved with anyone and to him this was a perfect way of existing, especially among people who were so different from himself. He figured most people would have a hard time knowing what it was like to see things in his perspective. He was a twenty-nine year old man who had never had a girlfriend. In place of such things his mind was full of knowledge of every subject from astrology to history. Romantic relations never occupied his mind like other things. It was hard for them to as he spent very little time with peers that were his own age. By the age of fourteen he had already earned multiple university level degrees. He spent most of his education homeschooled and in private schools. It wasn’t until he was sixteen or so that his mother, taking into account his acute avoidance of any social interactions decided it would do him good to go to a public university. She had figured that New York would be a positive environment for future job prospects and a way for him to make some intelligent friends. He was enrolled in Columbia University where he was introduced to Peter Venkman as they shared a room in their first year.

 

Egon supposed he could attribute the fact that he was now able to speak to other human beings to the introduction of Peter Venkman in his life. At first the two highly disliked each other. The two were much different at that point in their lives. Peter was quite a popular student. He had a lot of friends and spent many nights sharing his bed with young and beautiful collage freshmen. Egon on the other hand was a mere teenager. He had pale skin and a lanky body, which hadn’t quite filled in yet. His glasses were thick and his hair had been slicked back out of mere practicality. The boy had barely surpassed puberty before he was introduced to the hormone induced Venkman and his outrageous lifestyle. Peter thought Egon to be nothing more than a scrawny geek, unfitting of his social status. He was a downright jerk the first few weeks of knowing each other. Egon hated Peter and thought that he was nothing more than an arrogant, sleazy asshole and constantly questioned how was it exactly that he had gotten into the university in the first place. However as time progressed the two found that they had a little more in common than they would have first expected. Venkman after finding some sort of affection for the young guy made it his sworn duty to ensure that Egon had lost his virginity before the end of university and regretfully for Egon he succeed at it. It was a young woman named Stacy Kepler who was at least six years older than Egon who managed to snag the title of his first. Though Egon hadn’t exactly felt good about it, he was glad it was over with. Though Peter was obnoxious, arrogant, conceited, perverted and an overall nuisance Egon began to admire him. Through all his bad qualities Peter was also fearless, cool, funny, popular and reckless and Egon, though without admittance, aspired to be more like Peter. Egon over the years began to open up more, develop a sense of humour and engaged in reckless behaviour with his new friend that would eventually shame his father. His mother however disappointed she had been, still was happy that the boys met and that her son was exponentially happier.

 

Peter Venkman had settled down over the years. Though he was not as promiscuous or obnoxious as he was in university, he was still a cereal dater and would occasionally take part in reckless behaviour. Very seldom did any of the women he dated last more than a month. Peter was charming but he got bored easily. Perhaps that was what caused him to end things with Dana Barrett. The two had dated for nearly six months when things started to fall apart. He was at first attracted to her well brought up nature and maturity that seemed to conflict with his own. He took her coy nature as a challenge as it was something he was seldom accustomed to. But over time, Dana’s maturity was almost crippling to Peter’s thirst for excitement. Dana had already introduced Peter to her parents, which he disliked heavily from the first meeting. Dana had quite a wealthy family and very conservative parents who were very unimpressed with their daughter’s new boyfriend. Dana had already been talking about marriage after the first six months and as Peter had already been thirty at the time, the concept was a definite possibility. But with Peter’s unconventional job, which kept him busy all the time and with the fact that her family had such a high dislike for him, he was uneasy about making a commitment. There was no doubt he had something special with Dana, but being with Dana meant to him that he would need to give up some of himself in the process and at the time Peter wasn’t ready to grow up. He did miss her from time to time. She had been one of the most feeling of relationships that Peter had in a long time, and the closest one that would encompass anything past sex and a night out on the town. He did enjoy waking up to Dana. She was nurturing, smart and sexy. She was confident in who she was and she had a few men interested in her at the time which offered Peter more pride in that he was able to be the one who won her over. The Ghostbusters had seen Dana a few times in between the two years that they had dated. Egon had seen her most often from the rest of the Ghostbusters. Dana was fond of Egon and would find herself confiding in him especially when her and Peter were together. Now she had a one-year-old son named Oscar and she had visited the firehouse once or twice to catch up with her old friends. In fact she was due for another visit. Egon liked Dana and was somewhat disappointed when her and Peter had broken up. He found Dana to be easy to talk to which was a luxury he could not appoint to many, especially those of the opposite sex.

 

Egon left Ray’s bookstore hastily, to meet up with Janine, hoping that she would not be too angry. She still had as of yet to remember how distracted Egon could get. Ray was left alone in his store. _Perhaps Egon was right and_ _the TLC should probably begin sooner rather than later,_ he thought to himself as he scratched his store name into the scum on the window.

 

 

 

 


End file.
